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Marion Jones cleared of doping
Reuters ^ | September 7, 2006

Posted on 09/06/2006 8:08:24 PM PDT by Howlin

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Former triple Olympic champion Marion Jones was cleared of doping on Wednesday after her 'B' sample tested negative for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO.

Jones's initial sample had tested positive for erythropoietin at the U.S. championships in Indianapolis in June. Had the second sample tested positive, the 30-year-old would have faced a two-year ban from the sport.

"I am absolutely ecstatic," Jones said in a statement issued by her lawyer. "I have always maintained that I have never ever taken performance enhancing drugs, and I am pleased that a scientific process has now demonstrated that fact."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: chat; dixiechick; doping; marionjones; northcarolina

1 posted on 09/06/2006 8:08:26 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin

Olympic champ Marion Jones' drug test comes back negative

Associated Press

September 6, 2006, 10:34 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The second sample for sprinter Marion Jones' doping test was negative, clearing the five-time Olympic champion of the latest allegations that she used performance-enhancing drugs, her attorneys said Wednesday night.

"I am absolutely ecstatic," Jones said in a statement released by her lawyers. "I have always maintained that I have never ever taken performance enhancing drugs, and I am pleased that a scientific process has now demonstrated that fact."

Jones tested positive for the synthetic hormone EPO on June 23. She withdrew from a meet in Switzerland last month and shortly after that, reports of a positive test were revealed.

The test of the second sample, conducted at the same UCLA lab that did the first test, came back negative, however, meaning the 30-year-old sprinter has been cleared of any wrongdoing. She faced a minimum two-year ban.

TIMELINE Jones has battled doping allegations for years

-- Sept. 26, 2000: Shot putter C.J. Hunter, then Marion Jones' husband, tests positive for steroids. He was suspended for two years in 2001 and retired.

-- Fall 2003: Jones is among several athletes to testify before a federal grand jury in San Francisco investigating BALCO.

-- May 16, 2004: Jones insists she is drug-free and says she will sue if the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency bars her from competing in the Athens Olympics without a positive drug test.

-- August 27, 2004: Jones goes home empty-handed from Athens. She finishes fifth in the long jump, and her 4x100 relay team fails to finish after a bad handoff.

-- Dec. 7, 2004: The IOC opens an investigation into doping allegations against Jones after BALCO founder Victor Conte -- who served a four-month prison term for his role in the steroid scandal -- alleged he supplied her with an array of banned drugs before and after the Sydney Olympics.

-- Dec. 15, 2005: Disgraced sprinter Tim Montgomery retires, two days after he was given a two-year ban based on evidence gathered in the BALCO investigation. He says he and Jones have split, although they remain in regular contact. They have a 2-year-old son, Monty.

-- Feb. 5, 2006: Jones settles a $25 million federal defamation lawsuit against Conte filed in 2004, alleging Conte tarnished her reputation when he said on ABC's "20/20" that he supplied performance-enhancing drugs to Jones, Montgomery and Kelli White.

-- Feb. 8, 2006: The International Olympic Committee says it will continue to investigate whether Jones was doping when she won five medals, including three gold, at the 2000 Sydney Games.

-- June 23, 2006: In a triumphant return to her sport, Jones wins the 100 meters at the national championships. It was her 14th U.S. championship but first sprint title since 2002.

-- June 24, 2006: Jones withdraws from the 200 meters at the U.S. championships just before the preliminaries. She warms up, but decides her legs are too tired after running three rounds of the 100.

-- Aug. 18, 2006: Jones' "A" sample tested positive for the banned endurance-boosting hormone EPO at the June U.S. track and field championships in Indianapolis, people familiar with the result tell the AP. For the next month, she is faced with the possibility of a two-year ban from the sport.

-- Sept. 6, 2006: Jones' backup, or "B" sample, is negative, her attorneys say. She is cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to return to competition. "I am absolutely ecstatic," she says.
2 posted on 09/06/2006 8:09:21 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin

Help me out, BALCO had how many, one customer who admitted to taking steroids? No way to run a business!


3 posted on 09/06/2006 8:11:00 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (c)
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To: Howlin

Paging Floyd Landis !


4 posted on 09/06/2006 8:12:31 PM PDT by Newbomb Turk
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To: Howlin

They should have randon drug testing in Congre$$. just a thought.


5 posted on 09/06/2006 8:13:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: Howlin

"Marion is Clear™ "


6 posted on 09/06/2006 8:15:21 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (c)
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To: NormsRevenge

C'mon now. You know Ted Kennedy would never let that fly, as such testing might reveal his perpetual .65 BAC.


7 posted on 09/06/2006 8:18:33 PM PDT by lesser_satan (EKTHELTHIOR!!!)
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I don't know if she did anything or not but why on earth don't they test the B sample before releasing anything to the media. Whats the harm in waiting a week or two before telling the public someone was caught? Might as well make sure the facts are right before going public because allegations like this could be devestating to an innocent.


8 posted on 09/06/2006 8:22:15 PM PDT by SmoothTalker
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To: SmoothTalker

How would those lab techs get wined and dined by reporters if they didn't leak this stuff?


9 posted on 09/06/2006 8:24:25 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter
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To: Straight Vermonter

I don't even trust the tests and testors anymore. Lab techs eff up and "contaminate" the samples and you're screwed.


10 posted on 09/06/2006 9:04:58 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Big Media is like Barney Fife with a gun.)
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To: Howlin
Funny.

Pull and politics and threatened lawsuits can do a lot.

11 posted on 09/06/2006 11:16:19 PM PDT by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
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To: SmoothTalker
I don't know if she did anything or not but why on earth don't they test the B sample before releasing anything to the media.

Back channel conversations and deals occur.

Decisions are made.

Actual test results? We never see them. Why not?

12 posted on 09/06/2006 11:18:58 PM PDT by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
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To: Constitution Day; TaxRelief; 100%FEDUP; 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; ~Vor~; A2J; a4drvr; Adder; ...

NC *Ping*

Please FRmail Constitution Day OR TaxRelief OR Alia if you want to be added to or removed from this North Carolina ping list.
13 posted on 09/07/2006 3:47:03 AM PDT by Alia
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